Trains to Seas
by Tune4Toons
Summary: When an apprentice conductor switches bodies with a monkey, he must return back home before it's too late—without getting caught in the monkey's trouble himself. — For LLB's and GSG's Body Switching Contest.
1. Mirrors Between

Author's Note: Just to disclaim, this is an entry for _LLB's and GSG's Body Switching Contest_.

The story takes place before the events of _Aboard the Eidolon Train_ for those of you who still remember that, though you don't actually have to read it to understand since the chapters are no longer around here. Let's see if we can make this work. Enjoy~

* * *

**~ಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗ~**

**Trains to Seas, Mirrors Between**

**ʇɹɐıus ʇo sǝɐs**

**~ಲ****ಲಲ**ಲಲಲಲ**ಲಲ**ಲಲ**ಲಲ**ಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲ~

A young, blond boy ran across the train yard as fast as he could. It was a fine day today; Wingulls were flying in the skies, a light breeze blew, and workers everywhere were hauling barrels and boxes into the warehouses both east and west of the train stop. Occupied garages encircled the area, the chatters of workers echoing everywhere. However, even with the wind, the boy was still sweating inside his maroon uniform and cap; the sun radiated with fiery heat.

At the train stop in the centre of the yard, a dirt-brown train had pulled up into the station. The boy made a mad dash over to where a muscled man in a similar uniform was standing by the post beside it.

"Link comma Toon," the man said as he scanned the list on the clipboard he was holding. Then he stared at the boy in front of him who skidded into a full stop. "Heh, doubt yer last name's Link, but it sounds 'bout right. You're on time, short stack."

Toon Link panted as he smiled. Then he looked down the length of the train; his mouth hung agape in awe.

"A beauty, ain't she?"

He nodded.

Then the man went over to the wooden station post nearby, grabbing the broom that sat beside it and handing it over to the boy. "And it's yer job to clean her out, the perks of ya lil' apprentices. Have fun, Toonie boy."

Toon Link let out a dejected sigh, taking the broom into his hands. Then the man patted his shoulder before walking away. He looked at the endless amount of freight boxes that stretched down the tracks.

Today was going to be a long day.

Carriage by carriage, he hopped in and swept out the shadowy insides. Every nook and cranny had its dust bunnies brushed out. This was the one thing Toon Link didn't like about being an apprentice train conductor; you had to start at the bottom. The very bottom. Sweeping was as tedious a task as it could get. No wonder no one wanted to do it, but he knew he had to. In one of the carriages, Toon Link could already imagine what his own train would look like: a locomotive with the levers, the pulley, and the engine; passenger cars with a green carpet and plush brown seats; and the chug of the wheels taking him everywhere.

But that was just a distant dream. He continued sweeping with a sigh. Who knew how long it would take before he could get out of apprenticeship?

Half an hour later, and he had about six cars swept out. He hopped out of the metal carriage, seeing more of the workers hauling out crates from the other cars further down the train. Everyone was working hard with their grunts echoing and their sweat falling, so he should do the same.

With a smile, Toon Link swung the door open and leapt right into the seventh carriage. The first thing to hit him was the stuffy air. Dust blew into his face, leaving him with stinging, watery eyes; a faint scent of musk lingered in the air. A few coughs and he was off to work, sweeping throughout the pitch-black room. He started in the corner at the left, heat from outside giving no mercy within, as he worked his way around the perimetre. _Sweep, sweep, sweep_. He couldn't wait to finish working. _Sweep, sweep, sweep_. Could this room get any dustier?

_Sweep, sweep, thump_. His broom banged on something solid, and the sound echoed in the room. Rubbing his eyes, which were probably red by now, he swept again. _Thump_. Guess he wasn't hearing things.

Another rub of his eyes—the dust wasn't helping—and he squinted to see what was in front of him. Though blurry, he made out a cloak-covered object the size of a door; a musky scent came off of it. Hadn't the guys taken this outside yet? More work for him, he guessed. He continued cleaning around it, unable to see the length of the cover due to the darkness. One misstep, and he slipped on it and fell onto the cold floor. The cloak slid off the object and landed on top of Toon Link; dust coated his hair and uniform. Then he shook off the cover as he coughed.

One glance to his left, however, and he saw something unusual.

A tall, arched mirror towered over him; intricate wood carvings made up its golden frame—well, as golden as the lack of light would show. By now, the boy's eyesight was fuzzy from the stinging or tears. Maybe both. A finger ran along its gaps until one hand lay flat on the mirror's smooth frame. Then he looked at his reflection.

Or at least he was expecting to.

The room was just as dimly lit on the other side. He wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but instead of a blond boy, he saw a brown chimp. The chimp stared back, looking up. A baseball cap rested on its head. Toon Link moved his hand to the left; the monkey mimicked. To the right, another matching wave. Toon Link smiled. He bobbed his head side to side, watching the monkey do the same. What a funny mirror this was! Where else could you see a sight like this? He stepped forward to get a closer look; the cloth under him lay in wait. He placed a hand on its surface, seeing the hand on the other side doing the same.

Toon Link took another step, but slipped on the cover below him. Down he fell and tumbled forward straight into the mirror, expecting it to shatter upon impact.

It did not.


	2. Vessel's Breeze

**~ಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗ~**

**Trains to Seas, Vessel's Breeze**

**ʇɹɐıus ʇo sǝɐs**

**~ಲ****ಲಲ**ಲಲಲಲ**ಲಲ**ಲಲಲಲಲ**ಲಲ**ಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲ~

Toon Link woke up in an almost pitch-black room. The walls were spinning around, creaking as they did, leaving him in a dizzy daze. _What happened?_ He glanced behind his shoulder to where the mirror stood. On the other side was his blond-haired self staring back, head tilted, eyebrows scrunched.

_Aw, the chimp is gone_, he thought. He clutched his head, feeling the rough hair on his forehead. As the seconds passed, the dizziness eventually subsiding—the pounding in his head stopping—and his vision was clearing up.

He looked up again at his reflection. _Wait, up?_ By habit, he scratched his head— _huh?_ No, it was a rough hat. Two hands plopped themselves on his head; the brim of a cap hung over his face. Eyes now shot wide opened, he felt around his face, ears, and neck. Furry. One hand now on the cold mirror, he saw all the brown fur on his arms. Looked down, red cotton shirt. He felt his tail slide along the wooden floor—

_Oh, no_…

If he was here, then who was on the other side?

His focus shifted to the mirror. The blond boy in the reflection was inspecting himself the same: hat, clothes, teeth, nose. What was going on? He must've been dreaming, right? Toon Link banged on the mirror, catching the other boy's attention. Toon Link tried to push through, but couldn't. The solid surface remained still. The boy over there, however, flashed a wide grin as he watched. Then he pulled down an eyelid and stuck out his tongue. Shooting an angry glare, Toon Link kept pounding away, only to witness "himself" spank his butt and hop out the carriage.

_Great_.

No, this had to have been a dream. It was the dust! It must be! He slapped himself. _Nope_. A pinch? _Nothing!_

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed for the first time how different the entire room was. The walls were made of wood, unlike the metal cars of a train. Pillars stood, holding the ceiling up, and the room was more spacious and less stuffy, though rickety, with a bouncy floor. Near the stairs in the right corner was a broom and light beaming through. A salty breeze blew in.

Maybe this wasn't a dream. No, that would be crazy talk. The slapping and self-pinching didn't do much, but he refused to believe he was a chimp. He had to focus on getting his job done, at least once he woke up first.

"Diddy Kong! There you are!"

Toon Link turned around. A young man in blue armour ran down the steps with blinding speed; his matching straight blue hair, adorned with a thin tiara, brushed over his eyes.

The man laughed as he picked "Diddy Kong" up. "You must have had fun exploring, but we need you up on the deck, little guy."

_On the deck?_ Toon Link struggled to get out of the man's grasp, but his grip was too strong.

The man frowned. "Hey, I thought you liked getting carried around." He held Toon Link in place as they walked up the stairs. "Get some sunshine, why don't you? It is not fun playing in stuffy rooms."

Toon Link sighed. Seeing as the monkey wasn't struggling anymore, the man continued up the steps with a smile. Once outside, the first thing to hit them was the bright azure sky, making Toon Link shield his eyes. (Well, the hat did help.) But it wasn't just the sky that he noticed. It was the salty breeze, the chatter of sailors hauling around barrels, the whooshing sounds of waves, and the giant sail blocking his view.

Obviously, this wasn't the train yard anymore.

The deck in front of him were wider-than-average ropes constricting the wooden rails amoung the tangled messes on the floor. He still couldn't help but stare at the masts that held up the massive tanned-stained sails. The wood under him kept swaying back and forth, back and forth, making his throat feel uneasy.

"Diddy, what is with you today?" the man said. "You are staring at it like you have never seen a sail before."

"Lord Marth," a gruff voice called out. The man turned his attention there. "We're almost at the gulf islands, sir, so we should be able to spot the coastline shortly."

"Thank you. Be sure to keep me posted."

As for Toon Link, he frantically looked around the area. Where was he? Nothing familiar was nearby: no voices, no people, no trains. He leapt out of Marth's hands and crawled away towards the bow as fast as he could, slipping passed sailors' feet. The wood creaked with each step, unlike the solid ground of the train yard's concrete. Not only that, everything was still moving back and forth, back and forth. Near the front, he came into a stop, clutching his head. And the floor kept shifting back and forth, back and—

His stomach gurgled. With one hand to his mouth, he bolted to the side. Eyes of the nearby sailors gave uncomfortable stares as he stuck his head out the other side of the railing. "Seasickness," he heard a couple of men whisper. Unpleasant was his heaving.

Heavy footsteps pattered close by until Toon Link felt a hand rub his back. He still felt lightheaded.

"Diddy Kong. You sick or something?" This voice was not "Marth's". Turning around, his gaze locked with a red-haired man's in similar blue armour. "Marth isn't gonna be happy about this. Since when do you get seasick?" He smirked. "Have you been eating some bad bananas? I told you to stay away from those since you keep leaving the banana peels everywhere—"

"Roy, you should not harass him," Marth said as he walked towards them. "But that is strange. Are you feeling alright, Diddy?"

"Marth, you're spoiling him. I bet he'll recover quickly."

"He is just as part of the crew as we are. It does not hurt to be a bit more concerned."

"We also have to focus on landing soon. We'll probably see the port town sooner than we know it."

Thoughts swirled around Toon Link's head. He had to get out of here, but first off, where was he? Watching the two men bicker, he crawled under them and staggered away towards the stern, neither of them noticing. He bent down to his hands and knees— _no, stop it_. Standing back up, his nose caught the scent of something sweet. Almost hypnotized, he drifted to his right, crawling down— _argh, feet! Feet!_ He had no control over these instincts. Back up on his feet, he started scratching his head with a sigh. Guess that was one habit that wouldn't go away no matter what.

Soon, he caught sight of where the scent was coming from; a pile of bananas sat on a table up the side-flight of steps, next to the steering wheel. Mouth watered, tail pointing straight up, a unknown force pulled him up the stairs. Once up, his hand was seconds away from reaching for that precious banana—

But his tail was pulled back.

"Nuh-uh-uuh!" a voice behind him said. Toon Link turned to see Roy holding him back. "You gotta work for it before you can get your reward, Diddy. Besides, you shouldn't be eating if you're gonna get sick like that."

Marth came up from behind. "Roy—"

"Here ya go," Roy said as he handed Toon Link a broom from the side. "Don't be skipping out this time."

Marth sighed. "He is just going to run again. There is no point—" He choked on his words when Toon Link took the broom into his hands and walked away.

Roy chuckled as he watched "Diddy" head back down the steps. "Well, what do ya know? He's actually doing it! Can you believe that? Guess we finally got through to him instead of having to chase him down again this time."

Marth stroked his chin. "Or there could be something wrong with him. He did get seasick, after all, and Diddy Kong's been on ships with us for years. Are you sure nothing happened to him or he didn't get hurt or anything?"

"If you're that worried, then go check."

Marth sighed, keeping an eye on the chimp as he trudged down towards the cabins below deck.

_~۩LBB۩GSG۩~_

Toon Link glanced over his shoulder, seeing that no one was around. Once downstairs, he ran as fast as his monkey legs could take him. He had to get there! He rushed over to where Marth had found him in the corner of the room where the shadows resided…

But it wasn't there! _What?_ The mirror! Did someone move it?

Frantically scanning the room, he noticed a hallway next to the stairs. _Gotta be in there somewhere_. One step in that direction, and he stopped. A thought struck him. If he was running around in a chimp's body, what exactly was happening with _his_ body? He could already see it now, a small blond boy racing across the train yard with a crowd of angry people chasing behind. The sailors here already seemed to tense up whenever he was around, watching where he would go. If people were expecting it here, over there… Toon Link shuddered. Not a pleasant idea to think about. He wandered around the chilly corridors, peeking through room after room, seeing nothing but bunk beds and shelves that smelled of sweat and mould. This ship was quite large. He missed his trains.

The constant swaying didn't help him at all. Head dizzy, he stumbled into the room to his right. One glance up, and his eyes widened. The mirror! It sat in the corner behind piles of crates and barrels.

Then he caught a scent; his tail stood up. A banana, but where? He got down onto his hands and feet— no, he stood back up. No, _down. No, UP!_ Monkey instincts played tug-of-war with his willpower. He forced himself to walk forward towards the mirror, fighting to stay on two feet, not four. Step by step, he got closer. His heart was racing! Almost there!

But he didn't notice the banana peel in front of him.

Soon, he slipped on it and kissed the floor with a _thump_. He pushed himself back up with a growl. _Screw this ship! Screw this body!_ All he wanted was to return to his own sanctuary. The mirror was right there; so close, yet so far. His hand outstretched as if trying to reach it—

His body was then picked up off the floor. The familiar blue armour of his captor shot fear through Toon Link's spine.

"Diddy, what are you doing here?" Marth. Of course. "It is not a good idea to sweep this room; it is not safe with all these crates around. Besides, we would not want you playing with that mirror anyway. You might stir up a bit of trouble to other people if you did."

Toon Link's eyes widened as he tried to struggle free, but Marth's grip still held strong.

He carried him farther and farther away from the mirror. "Now, if you really are going to sweep, I will find you an easier room to clean."

Hand still outstretched, Toon Link watched as his hopes flushed down the drain with his way home now out of sight. His fingers then clenched into a fist.

_Dang it!_


	3. Railroad Schemes

**~ಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗ~**

**Trains to Seas, Railroad Schemes**

**ʇɹɐıus ʇo sǝɐs**

**~ಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲ~**

A blond boy hopped out of the carriage of a brown train at the station, blasted with the heat from up above; the blazing sun gave no mercy to its company. Thin smog from the trains and garage chimneys coated the area. Diddy Kong breathed in the smoky air as he made his way north and coughed. How were these people able to stand all of this? His lungs already burned from the dust, and his eyes stung just as much too. The weather wasn't helping either; he was sweating more in this uniform than he did in fur!

The constant walking-on-two-feet thing was new too. Seriously, how did these humans do it? Didn't they get tired after a while? It felt weird having to bend down to even _reach_ his toes, let alone touch the ground. As for the ground, it was so grey, so hard, so boring! It didn't have that bounce wood had. And falling on it looked like it would hurt a lot. The pants he wore also had a strange feeling. Noticing how the rest of the workers had them on, he fought the urge to slide his off. He scratched his head. The hair… How soft, how strange. Bright, too.

"Hey, squirt!" a deep voice called out.

Diddy Kong kept walking ahead, still feeling his (or rather, Toon Link's) head of hair. He could get used to this. The breeze felt weird on his skin as well, but refreshing.

"Toonie! Hey!"

Maybe they might have some food somewhere. He did feel awfully hungry; his stomach growled in response. Bananas it was, then.

"Ignorant little— hey, squirt! Get your butt over here right now!"

Ugh, this guy _really_ needed to shut his trap. Diddy Kong turned around, shooting an angry glare—that was, until he actually _saw_ the man. A bald, burly figure towered over him, buttoned uniform tight on his puffed chest, shadow overcasting; a menacing scowl was glued to his face. Diddy Kong gulped. A sudden chill shot through his nerves. He let out a nervous chuckle as he backed away step by step.

"Boy, your momma should've taught ya some manners," the man growled. "It's not break time yet. So get back to work!"

A bead of sweat fell from Diddy Kong's face. Were his hands this clammy before? They were practically shaking!

The man cracked his knuckles. "Squirt, I know you heard me just now. Don't make me say it twice." He grabbed an idle broom that was leaning on the train.

Diddy Kong tensed up.

"I said work. NOW!"

_Eep!_

He ripped the broom out of the man's hand. A quick glance over his shoulder—no workers, a home-stretch free—and Diddy Kong bolted away towards the portable office compound behind him. The man was about to follow pursuit.

"Where are you going, you little—?"

Then a hand grasped his left shoulder. Turning around, his glare was met with another muscled, though not as large, figure in a bandana, along with his buttoned maroon uniform and gloves. His tanned skin was coupled with his expressionless face.

"Calm down. The office could use a good sweeping."

"You kidding me? Even you should know how tight the schedule's been; no one's even taken their lunch breaks yet! We have to get that train swept out, cleaned, and ready to go and you're just lettin' that brat go free?"

"The heat gets to people. You too, Horace. Give him about thirty minutes in there. If he doesn't finish by then, _that's_ when you can go pick him up."

He scoffed before staring at the compound. Then he flashed a toothy grin. "Got it, boss."

~۩LBB۩GSG۩~

Diddy Kong's heart raced into overdrive. He darted over to the compound's green door and slammed it shut behind him as soon as he went in. Back pressed against it, he slid to the floor, huffing as he tried to catch his breath. What was their problem? Jumpin' peanuts, that guy scared the living barrels out of him! He missed the ship already. At least his life wasn't _threatened_ there. Then again, he could've sworn Roy had something against him. He never did like that guy.

About three seconds later, his senses started kicking in. This room was stuffier than the carriage! It was humid with the smell of sweat lingering around, and he was sure it wasn't coming from him. Maybe.

His stomach grumbled. The call of the wild was back. Perhaps he might find something here? A lone, foldable table stood in the middle of the room surrounded by pushed-in chairs; what looked to be a small white box with a door sat behind it all. To the left, another table filled with plates lined along the entire wall.

And if his guess was right, plates meant food. But where was it?

Seeing as how those were the _only_ things there, he walked around the centre table and approached the white box behind it, tossing the broom he held to the side. He crouched down, inspecting the sides and the top; a trickle of frigid air teased his toes. Some sort of human contraption? He'd never seen one of these types of crates before.

He opened the box; a blast of cold air hit him. Inside were a couple levels of shelves, each with its own contents, making Diddy Kong marvel at the magic that was its chilly temperature. The door itself had a rack holding several glass bottles of milk. So Diddy Kong took them out, chugging the drinks down to the last drop. One burp, and he tossed each bottle behind him, a shatter following, and repeat. What kind of milk was this? It was fantastic! The way the sweetness danced in his mouth, the silky-smooth texture it carried. Perhaps he had been so deprived of snacks on the boat, he was enjoying this a little more than he'd expected to. But soon, all the bottles were empty, and he tossed the last one behind him.

The bottom shelf in the box, had a large ham and a couple of pies. Two hands grabbed hold of one of the pie pans. Pinching out a bit of its soft, crumbly crust, he couldn't help but drool at the sweet scent of bananas coming from its filling. He brought his nose closer and closer to the source of the smell— _SPLAT!_ —and brought his face too close to it. He didn't mind though; one lick of his cheeks, and he knew it tasted mighty fine. Now burying himself into it, he scarfed his way down to the bottom, munching off chunks and pieces of crust in large felled swoops, never noticing a burst of hot air hitting his (or rather, Toon Link's) back. Tossing out the almost-empty tin plate behind him, it dropped a _thunk_ followed by a _clack_, not that Diddy Kong cared.

His eyes drifted over to the second pie in the cold box. Shouldn't leave good food waiting, now should he?

Mouth wide open, he was about to take a bite when he heard the crunch of glass behind him, making him almost leap. His head nearly swivelled a hundred andeight degrees. He saw not the door, but his perpetual doom; one bulky man, one red face, and one heck of a scowl. It didn't take Diddy Kong long to see the cream and crumbs on the guy's shiny head. If he learned something from his years of boat travel, it was to never mess with the muscle-headed sailors, despite that situation being impossible for him to avoid. Well, that hadn't changed. He swallowed hard; he knew what was coming.

"You're dead meat, boy!"

_Eep!_

By instinct, he took the ham out and threw it. Horace caught it, only to see Diddy Kong jump onto the table. Then up he leaped over Horace's head. He had a perfect landing too.

Well, he did until he slipped and fell onto the glass.

Cuts everywhere on his limbs, he stumbled over to the door and fell. Horace swept the glass to the side with his feet as he stomped towards Diddy Kong, arms outstretched. Diddy Kong pushed himself up and ran to the table at the back. He then climbed on top of it, accidentally knocking plates over.

"Stop jumping, dammit!" Horace charged through the shards. Trying to grab him, he missed as Diddy Kong leapt over him. On the floor, he slid under the table. Then Horace tried to catch him again. Diddy Kong attempted to crawl through his feet, but was yanked back by the leg.

The door was just in reach, but he was lifted up off his feet before getting there. He tried to struggle out, but the man's grip was far too strong. Diddy Kong was lifted to eye level. As he was held closer, Horace's face forced Diddy Kong's back, seeing that both were now sweating and the latter was forgetting to breathe; his hands were getting clammy.

"That was my lunch, you pipsqueak—!"

Diddy Kong yanked Horace's nose with as much force as possible. Horace yelped, allowing Diddy Kong to kick him in the stomach and push himself off him. The man stumbled back. With one more shove, he crashed onto the table, making them both flip over. Diddy Kong dusted off his clothes and soon ran out the door.

The heat gave no sympathy. Slamming the door shut, he raced over across the yard. He wanted to go home. Here was too hot, too tiring, too scary, and he hadn't even stayed for more than an hour! He rushed passed a tanned man in a maroon bandana and uniform, hearing a "Toon Link, what are you…?" until running out of earshot. He stole frequent glances over his shoulder, ignoring the chatter of workers, until he reached the brown train in the centre. A wind blew by, and he turned around. In the distance, he could see Horace talking with the tanned man, face ever redder than before, holding up the broom Diddy Kong tossed aside earlier. A gasp: _oh no!_ Horace looked his way, finger pointing directly at him. _Dang it!_

Diddy Kong ran behind the carriages, dust kicking up. Where could he hide? He raced down the aisle, checking each door of the train cars, noticing they were all locked.

Then he saw it. The seventh carriage. An open door!

Wait… He saw a few workers heading to the door as well. Rushing over, Diddy Kong shoved one worker aside, then pulled down the other off the platform before he could enter the train. Afterwards, Diddy Kong hopped onto the carriage and slammed the sliding door shut.

Behind him, he frantically scanned the room. Under a sprawled cover, a stick stuck out. So he took it out and barricaded the door with it.

He listened to the pounding from outside; the muffled yells, shouts, and commands; the rumbling of the floor below him…

There was a _thump_ followed by whirring sound. The pounding and shouting continued from outside.

Diddy Kong soon found himself coughing from the dust inside; the room in question was stuffy and hot. Only pinpoints of light from the door allowed him to see what the room was like. He licked the cuts on his arms; the stinging only worsened. There was the cover from before. And with it, a mirror with an intricately carved, wooden frame standing tall and proud within the depths of the mini dungeon. He walked up to it, one hand pressed on its reflective surface.

He tried pushing through, but to no avail.

_Right_, the human kid had tried earlier. Well, Diddy Kong did stick his tongue at him for trying, and now it looked like it was his turn to see how it felt. No one was on the other side though. Diddy Kong sighed. He was going to be here a while.

Then a couple of heavy bangs pounded the door. "Hey, Toonie! Unlock the damn door right now!"

_Okay_. Starting _now_, he was officially dead meat. Freakin' barrel bombs, this day couldn't get any worse! It was supposed to be _fun_! Not a lose-a-life day! Diddy Kong punched the mirror.

Where in the seaside was that human?

"TOONIE!"


	4. Swapped Stories

**~ಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗಗ~**

**Trains to Seas, Swapped Stories**

**ʇɹɐıus ʇo sǝɐs**

**~ಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲಲ~**

The thirty minutes of Toon Link getting stuck on the ship made him realise he might not even _be_ a ship person, yet he couldn't help but be reminded of the first time he stepped on a train. The motion plus the speed made traveling a bit difficult on his stomach without it making a fuss. Of course, times like those passed by without fail, and the dizzy, seasick feeling left him as well. Even the salty air lost its distinct scent since he got used to it by now. However, the only thing he still hadn't gotten used to (or rather, couldn't) was the chimp body. The breeze bristling through the fur, the nose being a little more sensitive to smells, the tail swishing around everywhere. Ridiculously strange.

Marth had carried him outside and walked over towards the stern, up the side flight of steps. Along the way, they heard the whispers of sailors talking about the rumours heard about the mirror downstairs. Then the two were finally up on the deck, where the steering wheel overlooked the rest of the boat, where wooden railings surrounded the platform, and where Marth set Toon Link down before handing him his broom back.

"This should be a nicer place to sweep, isn't it? Up here is a smaller area, and it's easier to do. Plus, you get to enjoy the open air." Marth smiled. "Don't cause too much trouble, all right Diddy? We wouldn't want you locked up in a cage, now would we? I know you hate that, so don't make me worry too much." Toon Link sighed as Marth petted his head. "Thank you. Now do a good job, and do NOT try to run away again."

Toon Link nodded. So Marth decided to leave him to it as he waved and headed back down the stairs. Then Toon Link turned around, staring at the deck in front of him with a sigh.

It was back to working here too.

Toon Link swept in an almost rhythmic pattern: _sweep sweep, sweep sweep_. As he swept from corner to corner, his mind plotted ways to get back downstairs without arousing any suspicion. He couldn't let any of the sailors see him walking down the steps. He _especially _couldn't get seen by Marth or Roy either. (They'd probably carry him back outside.) Stopping for a moment, he stared into the distance behind the sails; a couple of islands as well as a few ships came into view as fine little dots. If he wanted to do it, he had to do it soon before the ship docked into the island port. Toon Link found it bizarre how similar this place was to his own. The boat was like the train, both needing to get to someplace within a precise schedule.

His eyes widened. _Right!_ He was supposed to finish sweeping the train! Now he _really_ had to get home.

Continuing his sweeping, he glanced over to the table where the bananas sat earlier. Nothing. The only scent to fill his nose was the salty breeze of the rocking ocean, except for the faint smell of sweat coming from the deck below. By the table, Toon Link saw Roy ambling up the steps, sword beside him swinging in tandem with his feet, holding a glass bowl of bananas in his hands. Toon Link's nose twitched, stomach growling in response. When was the last time he ate?

"Hey, Diddy K.," Roy called out. "You hungry?"

Toon Link nodded, drifting over to towards, tail straight up and ears perked. One hand reached up to grab one—

"Nuh-uh-uh." Roy held the bowl away. "Work first, then food—" His eyes widened ever so slightly. The entire deck's wood was one shade brighter than the dirt-brown floors from downstairs. Then he looked back at Toon Link. "You _actually_ did all of this? That can't be right."

Toon Link nodded once more, reaching for the snack yet again.

"Wait, wait, wait. How about you sweep the captain's room instead, Diddy? You gotta prove that you really _did_ do the work."

_Seriously?_ This monkey must've had it hard if he couldn't get something as simple as a banana.

Roy smirked. "C'mon, you can't get the reward if you don't prove that you did the work."

He set down the bowl on the table before picking up Toon Link. What was it with these people and picking up the monkey? The monkey could walk, you know. _So this was what it was like being a pet_. Thank the goddesses he was Hylian (or at least had been Hylian). Walking down the creaky stairs, Roy turned right towards the wooden door in between the steps. It had a simplistic, boarded pattern, much like the rest of the ship. Toon Link glanced over to the left where another set of steps led down to the dark. How was he going to get down there? Looking around, sailors in white and blue were manning the ropes at the port, others were wheeling black cannons in place at the starboard, and Marth stood at the bow.

With Roy opening the door, what lay inside the room was a dimly lit lamp sitting on a wooden auburn table. The shelves surrounding the entire perimeter were filled from the right with glass vases and sculptures, the left and centre with large piles of scrolls and maps, and a miniature figurine of a ship amongst that pile. The back-and-forth swaying still present, the floors of the room creaked with each movement.

Toon Link couldn't help but stare at the ship replica, marvelling at the detail and the effort it must have taken to make it.

"That's the replica of a ship called the Fatuus."

He turned around, seeing Roy leaning against the door, almost as if he was observing him.

Roy continued. "There's a legend that came with it mentioning of an alternate world mirroring our own. They say that the ship has had members of its crew go mad one by one, each losing their memory and claiming that they did not belong there. They ended up acting like a completely different people: a man was a girl, another acted like some 'mystical' creature, and one spoke an entirely different language altogether. Many say they were possessed by demons of another dimension."

Toon Link's (or rather, Diddy Kong's) eyes widened a bit. Sucking in a breath, he turned back to scrutinising the details of the little replica. His heart pounded in his ears, a beat faster than normally.

"Of course, it turned out that those crew members were said to be…"

Toon Link felt a breath tickle his ear.

"…joking around."

He spun back around, but not in time. Centimetres from touching his skin, Roy's sword was held up at Toon Link's neck, forcing his back as close to the shelves as possible. The chill of cold metal teased his fur.

"So what do you want, Diddy Kong?"

He swallowed hard. His eyes drifted about the room, looking for a clear path free.

"You have a lot of nerve, filling my cabin with dust last week. Don't you dare think I'm letting you get away with it twice."

Toon Link did his best to keep calm. One subtle movement and the blade could've cut him. His grip tightened around the broom he held behind his back. Even here, he had a height disadvantage, but he couldn't let that beat him.

Soon, an idea came to him. He slid his tail behind Roy. One poke with it and Roy turned around. Then Toon Link shoved him with his broom and raced around the table. Roy stumbled into a shelf, causing a couple of scrolls to tumble and fall, all caught in his hands. However, Toon Link slipped when he ran and hit a shelf as well. Two, three, four vases fell. His tail caught one, a hand outstretched for the next, one foot held a stray, and his back cradled the last one. He was left bending forward in an awkward swan stance, standing on one foot while balancing the four vases.

Putting them all on the table carefully, he tried to rush out the door. Too bad Roy already stood in between him and it. Now what was he going to do?

Roy chuckled. "You actually caught those this time? Something's obviously up." He crossed his arms, putting on a face that was half-glaring, half-smirking. "What did you do this time?"

This guy was so weird! First, he threatened him, and now he was acting like this? Toon Link had no idea how to react.

Then Roy snapped his fingers. "I know what you're doing, you sneaky little chimp."

Toon Link's heart started beating faster. He couldn't possibly mean…?

"You're trying to get on our good sides, aren't you?"

_Huh? _He cocked his head.

"Is it because we don't give you enough bananas?" Roy asked. "Or are you hiding something?" He stuck the tip of his sword at Toon Link's neck again. "You better not be up to any monkey business. We might as well lock you up again if you do."

Toon Link did his best to hold back a giggle, biting his tongue down before he could. Then Roy withdrew his sword, put it back in its sheathing, then glared at Toon Link.

"This isn't over, Diddy. I'm watching you."

He opened the door behind him and left the room. _Finally!_ Toon Link let out a breath he didn't realise he was holding in, snickering to himself. What a guy. Hopefully, he didn't have to suffer too much from "Diddy Kong's" past antics.

Soon, his stomach growled. _Right_. He still needed to eat something.

Pushing the door open, he was caught off guard by the scent of bananas that hit him. Looking up, there it was: a beautiful, sparkling bowl of delectable bananas. He could almost see a bright spotlight shining down on it with a choir singing in the background somewhere. His tail stood right up, and he drifted over towards the stairs.

Wait; his ear twitched for a moment. Glancing over to where the stairs to the floors below were, he knew that was his path home. First, he checked the area. Everyone had their backs turned. It was the perfect opportunity; no one was looking.

But he looked at the bananas again. Then back at the steps. Why was it so hard to decide? He scanned the area once more, not seeing Marth anywhere, but noticed Roy at the bow looking out into the distance. Maybe he could go for a quick snack? No, this was his chance! He crawled over to the steps, but he stopped. The bananas attracted his nose like a magnet, making his head turn back— stop! Steps. No, bananas! Steps! Bananas! _Argh!_

So he went straight for the bananas. Darting up the side flight of stairs, Toon Link didn't see the muscled, bulky sailor that was heading down until he rammed right into him. The man had the presence of a wall, unflinching despite the impact. Toon Link stumbled back, almost falling down the steps before regaining balance. Realising what had happened, Toon Link closed his eyes, bracing himself for that ear-bursting shout.

A few seconds passed without a sound. Taking a peek, he saw the sailor holding the same frozen scowl, unchanging. Then he grunted and shoved Toon Link aside as he walked back down the stairs, a heavy creak sounding with each step.

Toon Link was left in shock. _That was weird_, he thought as he chuckled. For a moment there, he expected to end up losing his hearing again. So not every intimidating guy was like Horace. Good to know. Watching the man head down to the basement floor as well (there went his opportunity), Roy walked into his line of view. With one eye closed, the man waved a finger, mouthing "Nuh-uh-uh" as he did.

_Are you kidding me? Still?_

Grumbling in his mind, Toon Link gave the bananas one last glance before walking back downstairs. He felt his heart tug at the sight of losing them; he could still smell the savoury, sweet scent that belonged to them and them only.

_Stop, stop, stop!_ What the heck was he thinking just now? He had to get home before these weird instincts took over. He was losing it!

Then there was a crash from the floor below. Everyone on deck stopped what they were doing. Roy turned around, yelling, "Why are you stopping? Get back to work, men." Murmurs spread around the sailors, but soon it died down as they went back to their tasks. Toon Link watched Roy march over to the stairs, armour clinking, and stopped front of him. The two shared the same look, no smiles, worry written all over.

With no words whatsoever, Roy beckoned Toon Link to follow. What was going on? They walked down the steps, each creak filling them with anticipation; the beads of sweat that formed on Toon Link's forehead weren't helping. Then they heard something.

"Look, I'm asking you to set the cage down on the floor now."

"That mirror has to go. I'm sorry, my lord, but the fact that it's there endangers the crew."

"Those rumours are ridiculous. Surely, you don't believe them? I am asking you to drop it now or I'll have to force my hand on you."

Voices were coming from the crate room, so Roy and Toon Link ran. Once there, they saw a bulky sailor (the same one, Toon Link noticed, that he bumped into earlier) holding up a barred cage above his head and Marth with his blade drawn at him. Roy took out his own sword.

"Are you mad, sailor? Put down the cage now."

Toon Link scanned the room. The crates to the right looked climbable. He dashed over to the side, crawling up the boxes towards the top.

"Move aside, sir," the sailor said. He walked forward, forcing Marth back.

Roy was staring at the cage until a red cap above a crate caught his eye. Then he gasped. "Diddy, what the heck are you doing—?"

Toon Link jumped. Everyone turned. As Toon Link landed on the sailor's face, the man stumbled back. He dropped the cage and crashed into the pile of crates behind him. The sailor tried to rip Toon Link off his face. Holding on for his dear life, Toon Link stayed. Marth and Roy froze for a second before snapping themselves out of it. With Roy and Marth pulling both of the sailor's hands off of Toon Link, they pinned him down onto the wooden floor. He struggled, kicking his feet and trying to pull his arms up. The two still held their stance.

"Stand down, sailor," Marth said.

Roy kept his hold on him. "Those are direct orders!"

Toon Link crawled off the man and backed away. Then from the corner of his eye, he spotted his opportunity: an arched, etched mirror with a blond boy pounding away at its surface. Seeing as how Marth and Roy had the situation handled, he snuck over to the back of the room.

The boy in the mirror lit up in surprise when he saw Toon Link. Eyes widened, he kept pounding away. _The real Diddy Kong_, Toon Link realised. He placed a hand on the mirror's surface. How were they going to switch back? Was he going to be able to go home soon? Diddy Kong kept hitting the mirror until eventually, his fist hit where Toon Link's hand was.

Then he tumbled forward.

~۩LBB۩GSG۩~

After a few minutes, more sailors had arrived from upstairs, helping Roy and Marth stand as they held the burly sailor down.

Marth cleared his throat before saying, "You do realise breaking that mirror means breaking a priceless artefact, right? It's been with this ship for generations. Whatever stories you must've heard about it are not true."

Roy laughed. "Can't always rely on fantasies, sailor. Expect punishment for this to come later."

With a satisfied sigh, Marth glanced over to where the mirror stood. Then he noticed a small brown body collapsed on the floor. He gasped.

"Diddy Kong?" Rushing over, he picked him up, shaking up. "Diddy? What's wrong? Wake up. What happened?"

The chimp's eyes fluttered open, moaning as he did. A few blinks, and he stared at Marth for a while. Roy came over as well, peering at the monkey from behind Marth's shoulder.

Then the monkey pushed Marth down with a hug.

Marth gasped. "H-hey! What's gotten into you, Diddy?" Now laughing, he stood up, holding Diddy Kong as well. "Let's go get some food. You haven't eaten in a while, have you?"

Roy watched the two and smiled, somewhat following behind them as they walked out of the room. He signalled the rest of the sailors to go. Slowly, they all went, helping even the burly one up. Roy, staying behind everyone, took one last look at the mirror at the back of the room. Then he left.

~۩LBB۩GSG۩~

The doors of the shadowy carriage slammed opened, the broom barricading it breaking. Horace stomped into the room as the dust poured outside. Inside, he saw a blond boy collapsed on the floor. He waved his hand in front of his face as he walked over to the boy and crouched down, slapping his face.

"Toonie? Hey, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open as Horace kept slapping him. He moaned a bit, swiping the man's hand away.

"You alright there, squirt?"

Toon Link gave a nod and a weak smile. Could it be? He was finally home! He couldn't believe it; it was really Horace!

"That's good. The train's gonna be leaving soon, so we better get off, and…" Horace's voice started to rise, "YOU BETTER FIX WHAT YOU DID, YOU L'IL BRAT!"

Toon Link's eyes shot wide open now. Two more of the workers hopped onto the car, yelling at him as they came. He frantically looked from face to face. What did he do? Someone please tell him! Horace then dragged Toon Link by the arm as everyone followed behind, jumping off the train and yelling at him all at the same time. All the other workers stopped just to listen to the group as they walked across the yard.

"Men!" they heard someone say. Everyone halted into a stop, now dead silent as they stood in front of a tanned man in a bandana. He looked at Toon Link. "Toonie, I'm afraid it's your fault the Ignis is behind schedule. Even the office is a complete wreck now." He held up a broom and handed it to him. "As for your punishment, I expect the glass in there to be swept, the floors to be mopped, the fridge to get refilled, the carriages to be thoroughly dusted, the outside to get power-washed, the concrete to be sprayed…"

Toon Link couldn't keep his eyes from widening with every new job that kept getting listed. The list kept adding on and on, each second feeling longer than the last.

Just what the heck did that monkey do?

~۩LBB۩GSG۩~

Everyone was gathered outside at the deck, facing the bow where Marth stood and where mountainous islands came into view. Marth looked over his shoulder to the crew of sailors. Diddy Kong had his hands resting on the back of his head, grinning as he gazed into the distance. Roy chuckled, giving Marth a thumbs-up.

He smiled as he looked to the docks in the distance, and said, "Looks like the Fatuus will be arriving home safely. Tonight, we celebrate with a feast! Good work, men!"

Cheers came from the crowd. Sailors hugged each other as some of them threw their caps up in the air.

Amongst them, Diddy Kong crawled under their feet, through the crowd and out the back, racing to the stairs. Down he went to the floors below. Then he ran towards the hallway. Another turn to the right, and he rushed into the room. There it was, at the back behind the crates, the mirror. He looked at the carvings of the arched frame. Never noticing it before, the carved strokes and lines formed what appeared to be symbols. Looking at the mirror's surface, he only saw the reflection of himself.

He smiled, shaking his tail and then fixing his cap. It felt really nice being back in his own body again, with his fur and clothes again (no pants, _hooray_).

In front of the mirror lay a broom. He stared at it for a while, unsure what to do. Then he just shrugged. So he picked it up, and ran out of the room.

It was great to be back from trains to seas.

* * *

Tune4Toons: GAH! I had so much for this, but it had to be cut down due to the time restraints and busy schedules. It's been a while since I wrote at this speed (which I consider _crazy_ fast! Don't know how people do it—I mean, it's insane!). It was kinda nice writing this though, being able to go back to my old semi-AU fanfic roots. For those of you who recognise conductor!Toon Link (or AET!Toonie), hope you liked that teaser. And now we got ourselves Marth, Roy and sea!Diddy Kong too! Horace was a fun guy to write too. I mean really, don't we all have somewhat of an inner Horace somehow? XD

And luckily, this was still under the old word limit of 10K! Feedback and criticism are always loved with joy. :3

As for anyone else who sees this, even after the contest has been long since over, why don't you also go read _MessengerOfDreams_' _Samskeyti_? It's a wonderful piece about two who find their bodies switched with the one they love. (Yes, he was entered in this contest too. :P) If you don't like the pairing though, it's understandable, but think of it this way: love takes on many and all forms. Take a look whenever you can. Really, I think you'll like what you see.

Happy contesting, and best of luck to all!


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